Many people, for reason of illness, age, or disability, rely on wheelchairs for mobility, either as a temporary measure, or on a permanent basis. Increased use of ramps and elevators in public and private buildings, however, as well as an attention by facility planners to the needs of those who must remain in a seated position, has resulted in improved access to many services formerly denied to those in wheelchairs. Such advances have demonstrated that a person need not sacrifice independence or everyday amenities simply because of reliance on a wheelchair.
The barber shop and the beautician's continue to present special problems for those in wheelchairs. Although these hair care facilities are ordinarily provided with specialized position-control chairs for presenting the subject's head at an appropriate level for work by the barber or beauty operator, transferring a subject from a wheel chair may require strong lifting assistance from the operator, and may prove hazardous to a subject whose muscular control is impaired. Many facilities attend to the needs of those in wheelchairs by providing a pair of orderlies or assistants who manually grip the wheelchair and lift and tilt it as required to position the subject's head over a wall mounted sink. Such an operation presents the danger of back strain to the people doing the lifting and, because of the potential unsteadiness, may be disturbing or unsettling to the person so lifted.
A number of automated wheelchair lifts and tilt-adjust platforms have been developed to address this need. However, prior art lifts have suffered from a number of serious deficiencies. Many such devices are capable only of tilting the wheelchair about a fixed axis, or of tilting and elevating only. These motions will not always be sufficient to position a subject's head over a sink or other treating apparatus, due to the great variation in height and posture of subjects. Although some subjects may be able to raise or lower their heads with respect to the chairs, to do so for an extended period of time may induce fatigue or strain.
Furthermore, many prior art units are obtrusively bulky, occupying valuable floor space in the facility which might better be utilized. In addition, some lift units may present a sensation of uneasiness or risk which is not conducive to a satisfactory treatment experience.
What is needed is a wheelchair lift which safely and comfortably positions subjects of varying heights in proper position for hair care and other head-related procedures.